Baby crib

ABSTRACT

A baby crib and bed which includes a mattress supporting means having spaced apart parallel rail members supported on rollers carried by an underlying frame and attached to electrically powered mechanism arranged to give said supporting means a planar reciprocating motion.

United States Patent Jenkins 1 51 June 13, 1972 [54'] BABY CRIB [72] Inventor: Leyaughn Jenkins, 704 West Tichenor Street Compton, Calif. 90220 [22] Filed: Jan. 25, 1971 211 App]. No.: 109,479

1521 us. (:1. ..s/109 s 1 1 1m. 01 ..A47d 9/02, A47d 9/04 [58] Field of Search ..5/108, 109; 178/33; 297/260 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,136 5/1954 Samko ..s/109 3,056,144 10/1962 McKinley .5/ l 09 2,482,318 9/1949 Carruth 3,439,363 4/ l 969 Meeks ..5/ l 09 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney-Harry B. Thornton [57] ABSTRACT v A baby crib and bed which includes a mattress supporting means having spaced apart parallel rail members supported on rollers carried by an underlying frame and attached to electrically powered mechanism arranged to give said supporting means a planar reciprocating motion.

5Clalns, snnwm Figures PATENTEDJUH 13 m2 INVENTOR LEVAUGHN JENKINS ATTORNEY BABY CRIB This invention relates to an improvement in baby beds, cribs and the like and particularly with reference to beds having mechanism adapted to impart a lulling and soothing motion to the occupant.

Heretofore, power operated beds or cribs have been constructed to produce a rocking, swinging oscillatory or up and down bouncing motion and various complicated mechanisms have been devised to produce a motion suggestive of and similar to that of the old fashioned manually rocked cradle. It has been found, however, that any such motion having a vertical component may have adverse effects on the infant similar to the motion sickness or sea sickness" sometimes suffered by adults. Further, it has been found that a gentle, periodic reciprocatory motion in a generally horizontal plane is more efficacious in soothing and inducing sleep in infants than the motions produced in conventional rocking beds and at the same time avoids all the untoward efiects on the infant produced by rocking or swinging motions.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a crib having a body supporting structure adapted to reciprocate in an approximately horizontal plane.

A further object is to provide a simple and reliable mechanism for giving to the infant supporting portion of a crib or bed an effective soothing and sleep' inducing periodic, reciprocating motion in an approximately horizontal plane with substantially no vertical motion.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved mechanism for imparting gentle, rhythmical movement to the infant supportive portion of a baby bed which is safe and convenient and which eliminates the problem of motion sickness produced by rocking or bouncing movements.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent and readily understood by reference to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the crib structure with mattress and body supporting means and the device for reciprocating said means applied to one of the end boards of the crib;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the motor assembly for reciprocating the body support means;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 3- 3 of FIG. 1 showing the arrangement for supporting the body support structure on the rollers of the support frame;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, and I FIG. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of the right end portion of the crib shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The crib generally designated as shown in FIG. 1 may have end boards 11 and 12 formed with spaced apart vertical edge posts 13, 14 and 15, 16, spaced apart guard rail sides 17 and 18 extending between the end board posts l3, l5 and 14, 16 respectively and defining a generally rectangular enclosure within which is positioned a support frame assembly 30. The support frame assembly includes cross bars 19 and 20 normally positioned adjacent the end boards and spacing bar 2l attached rigidly to the cross bars at approximately their center points as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. The cross bars are arranged substantially parallel to the end boards and are spaced therefrom so as to provide a space between the support frame assembly and the end boards for the purpose explained below. Further, the cross bars are of a length less than the lateral dimension-of the end boards so as to provide clearance between said support frame assembly and the guard rail sides of the crib.

On the inner side of each of the end board edge posts there is attached a vertical series of equi-spaced, upwardly opening hooks 22 as shown in FIG. 1 and to each of the cross bars 19, 20 is fixed a hanger having an intermediate straight portion 23 and end portions 24 and 25 extending at right angles to the intermediate portion as shown in FIG. 1. Each end portion 24 of each hanger is fixed to a corresponding end of a cross bar as at 26. The other end portion 25 of each hanger is adapted to be supported on a selected one of the hooks in each series of hooks on the four posts. The height of the support frame assembly from the floor may thus be varied merely by placing the hangers on selected ones of the several series of hooks on the posts. The support frame may be of any suitable material, wood or metal; the hangers are preferably metal and operatively attached to the ends of the cross bars in any desired manner.

Adjacent each end of each cross bar there may be attached a generally U-shaped roller supporting bracket 27 having spaced upright arms as shown in detail in FIG. 3. Since all four bracket and roller structures are identical only one need be described. Joumalled in each arm is a shaft 28 carrying a roller 29, the shaft being positioned at a level such that the circumferential surface of the roller extends above the bracket arms. The rollers are preferably made of Teflon or nylon to reduce friction and wear but any suitable material may be employed.

A movable body support structure 31 adapted to support an infant placed in the crib is arranged to rest on rollers 29 so as to be capable of a free translatory and reciprocatory motion within the limits of the operating mechanism to be described below. The body supporting structure is preferably of metal and may include parallel side rails 32, 33 and parallel end rails 34, 35 joined so as to form a rectangular frame as shown (see FIGS. 1 and 5). The side rails may have an inverted L-shape in cross section and the frame. is so dimensioned that the horizontal portions of the L-shaped side rails ride on the rollers at each end of the cross bars and the depending vertical portions of the rails extend downwardly on the inner side of the brackets 27. Inner" as used here means between the brackets on the same cross bar. Extending between the side rails and fastened thereto there may be a series of equi-spaced cross rods or wires 36, and extending between the end rails a series of similar rods or wires fastened thereto so as to form a rectangular grid which will evenly support a pad or mattress on which a child may be placed. The body support structure need not be restricted to the form described above but any equivalent construction having a substantially flat supporting surface and suitable rails to ride on the rollers is within the contemplation of this invention. The length of the rectangular frame of the body support structure is less than the distance between the end boards but greater than the distance between the cross bars l9.and 20 of the support frame assembly 30 so that at each end of the crib there is a space between the body support structure and the end boards sufficient that said structure may be reciprocated freely on the rollers by means of suitable driving mechanism without having the end rails strike either the end boards or the roller support brackets.

Pivotally attached to one of the end rails at about the center thereof is one end of link bar 37 (FIGS. 2 and 4) which extends through slot 38 in one of the end boards to the exterior of the crib. The other end of the link bar is rotatably received on eccentrically positioned pin 39 secured to crank disc 40 which is fixed to the end of motor shah 41. The connection of the link bar to the end rail is by means of a generally U-shaped pivot bracket 42 fixed to the rail 35. The arms of the bracket are apertured as is the end of the link bar received between them and a transverse pivot bolt 43 extends through the apertures of the bracket and the link bar. A suitable motor assembly including mounting plate 44 and motor 45 is fixedly secured to end board 12 adjacent the slot and positioned so that the link arm may pass through the slot without contacting the sides thereof. Any conventional securing means as, for example, screws or the like may be used to secure the mounting plate to the end board.

Any electric motor of suitable power and speed may be used. Since a relatively low reciprocating frequency of the body support structure is desirable, a speed reducing mechanism may be included in the motor assembly. However, this is not necessary as direct drive may be used and the speed regulated by vknown speed control apparatus. It has been found that rotating the crank disc at approximately 50 rpm. will reciprocate the Support frame at a frequency which will produce optimum effects in soothing an infant and inducing sleep. However, the operation of this apparatus is not limited 'to this frequency and any frequency may be used which experience shows is best for a particular infant.

As shown in FIG. 2 the motor shaft 41 may extend through an aperture in the mounting plate, however, an equally satisfactory arrangement would have the opposite end of the motor attached to the mounting plate so that the motor, the shaft and the crank disc would all be on the same side of the mounting plate. It will be appreciated that various mounting arrangements may be utilized within the concept of this invention. A conventional cord and plug for connecting the motor through an on-ofi switch of suitable design to the house electrical system may be used. Since this circuitry is old and wellknown it need not be described here.

As will be readily apparent, when the motor is operated the crank disc and link bar will cause the body support structure to reciprocate (as indicated by arrow A, in FIG. 4) in its own plane on rollers 29. Normally a mattress or pad will be used on the body support structure and the infant placed thereon will be subjected to a gentle, reciprocatory motion effective to soothe and to induce sleep. As pointed out above, the body support structure is of a length greater than the distance between the cross bars 19, and less than the distance between the end boards, the longitudinal dimensions being such that when the body support structure is reciprocated the end rails will not contact the cross bars or the end boards. The amplitude of the reciprocatory motion is, of course, determined by the radial distance between the motor shaft and the pin 39 on the crank disc. it will also be apparent that the body support structure will nothave any appreciable vertical movement which is a frequent cause of gastric distress in infants. The body support structure at all times rests by gravity on the four rollers and moves only in the plane determined by said rollers.

The position of the motor assembly is not necessarily restricted to that shown in FIG. 1. An alternative arrangement would have the motor assembly placed on the same side of the end board as the adjacent cross bar. The connections of the link bar to the support frame and the crank pin would be substantially the same. This arrangement would obviate the need for a slot in the end board.

'lt will be understood that the drawings and foregoing description are illustrative and not limiting with respect to the invention and the various modifications in the structure may be made in the spirit of the invention and without departing therefrom.

I claim:

1. In a baby crib, a pair of spaced apart end boards, side guard means extending between and fixed at each end to said end boards to maintain them in spaced apart, upright position, a support frame assembly positioned between said end boards and said means, means for adjustably supporting said support frame assembly on said end boards at selected heights, rotatable support means fixed to said support frame structure and comprising rollers joumalled for rotation in vertical planes perpendicular to said end boards, a body support structure comprising side rails extending longitudinally between and spaced at each end from said end boards and movably supported on said rollers, electrically powered means connected to said body support structure and arranged to impart to said structure a periodic, planar, reciprocating motion in a direction generally perpendicular to the planes of said end boards.

2. A baby crib according to claim 1 in which said support frame assembly includes cross bars generally parallel to said end boards, spacing means for maintaining said cross bars in spaced apart position, said rotatable support means being positioned at each end of each cross bar.

3. A baby crib according to claim 2 in which said body support structure comprises parallel spaced apart side rails and parallel end rails, said side and end rails being joined at their ends so as to form a substantially rectangular frame, mattress supporting means within said frame and attached thereto, said rotatable support means comprising rollers mounted for free rotation at each end of each cross bar.

4. Structure according to claim 3 in which each side rail of said rectangular frame rests by gravity on a pair of rollers on each side of the crib, an electric motor including a shaft mounted on one end board, a crank disc centrally attached at one end of said motor shaft, a crank pin eccentrically fixed to said crank disc and a link arm one end of which is pivotally connected to the end rail adjacent said one end board and the other end of which is rotatably received on said crank pin, whereby when said motor is actuated an end-to-end reciprocating motion is imparted to the body support means.

5. A baby crib according to claim 1 in which the means for adjustably supporting said support frame assembly comprises a vertical series of hooks adjacent each side edge of each end board and hangers attached to one end to said support frame assembly, the other end of each hanger being adapted to be received on a selected one of the hooks in each series, whereby the height of the support frame assembly may be adjusted.

* III l 

1. In a baby crib, a pair of spaced apart end boards, side guard means extending between and fixed at each end to said end boards to maintain them in spaced apart, upright position, a support frame assembly positioned between said end boards and said means, means for adjustably supporting said support frame assembly on said end boards at selected heights, rotatable support means fixed to said support frame structure and comprising rollers journalled for rotation in vertical planes perpendicular to said end boards, a body support structure comprising side rails extending longitudinally between and spaced at each end from said end boards and movably supported on said rollers, electrically powered means connected to said body support structure and arranged to impart to said structure a periodic, planar, reciprocating motion in a direction generally perpendicular to the planes of said end boards.
 2. A baby crib according to claim 1 in which said support frame assembly includes cross bars generally parallel to said end boards, spacing means for maintaining said cross bars in spaced apart position, said rotatable support means being positioned at each end of each cross bar.
 3. A baby crib according to claim 2 in which said body support structure comprises parallel spaced apart side rails and parallel end rails, said side and end rails being joined at their ends so as to form a substantially rectangular frame, mattress supporting means within said frame and attached thereto, said rotatable support means comprising rollers mounted for free rotation at each end of each cross bar.
 4. Structure according to claim 3 in which each side rail of said rectangular frame rests by gravity on a pair of rollers on each side of the crib, an electric motor including a shaft mounted on one end board, a crank disc centrally attached at one end of said motor shaft, a crank pin eccentrically fixed to said crank disc and a link arm one end of which is pivotally connected to the end rail adjacent said one end board and the other end of which is rotatably received on said crank pin, whereby when said motor is actuated an end-to-end reciprocating motion is imparted to the body support means.
 5. A baby crib according to claim 1 in which the means for adjustably supporting said support frame assembly comprises a vertical series of hooks adjacent each side edge of each end board and hangers attached to one end to said support frame assembly, the other end of each hanger being adapted to be received on a selected one of the hooks in each series, whereby the height of the support frame assembly may be adjusted. 